I’ve been on the hunt for the best non toxic dishwasher detergent and am so excited to be writing this Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergent Review! When thinking about dishwasher detergents, many brightly colored bottles or tiny colorful pods come to mind. We started switching our dishwasher detergent to non toxic and pod-free styles years ago, but I never was really in love with the ones I was trying. I finally stumbled across Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergent recently when also testing out their laundry soap, and we keep coming back for more of their dishwasher powder! So let’s dive into this review!
[This post contains affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you purchase through these links. I’m only going to recommend products that I have tried and love! Sarah is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.]
About Dirty Labs:
They are on a mission to replace petrochemical based and plastic packing in our cleaning products. They focus on laundry and dish cleaning at the moment and they prioritize sustainable and eco friendly, plastic free packaging. They make products that are non toxic, and frankly, work! They aim to create bio based and biodegradable formulas. Dirty Labs is super transparent in their products, sharing Safety Data Sheets, as well as including their fragrance ingredients both natural and safe synthetic and the standards that they uphold.
About Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergent: Bio Enzyme Dishwasher Detergent
The Bio Enzyme Dishwasher Detergent is a 2-in-1 Dishwasher Detergent + Booster. It’s a powder formula, and requires just a small scoop to clean your load of dishes! You can use one scoop or up to 2 scoops for heavily soiled dishes, which I haven’t ever really needed!
Ingredients:
Sodium citrate (6132-04-3), Sodium carbonate (497-19-8), Sodium carbonate peroxide (15630-89-4), Sodium gluconate (527-07-1), Protease (Subtilisin) (aep) (9014-01-1), Sorbitan caprylate (60177-36-8), Hydrous sodium silicate powder (1344-09-8), Sodium carboxymethyl inulin (430439-54-6), Alpha-amylase (aep) (9000-90-2), Calcium silicate (1344-95-2), Silicon dioxide (112926-00-8), Allergen-free fragrances (Aestival). Their ingredients are free of all CA Prop 65 Chemicals of Concern.
Per their website they also share that their formula is:
- Biobased and biodegradable formula.
- Optimized for quick wash cycles.
- Each tube contains 48 standard loads.
- Natural, nontoxic ingredients.
- Septic safe.
- Cruelty-free.
- Vegan.
- No SLS or SLES.
- No dyes.
- No parabens and preservatives.
- No 1,4-dioxane.
- No CA Prop 65 chemicals.
- Packaging and formula are BPA-free.
- Plastic-free packaging. Please recycle.
- Recyclable cardboard container.
Scent:
Comes in Unscented, as well as Aestival: Yuzu, Geranium, + Lemon Balm.
What do they use for their fragrance?
They are made of natural and synthetic ingredients selected from the IFRA Transparency List They specifically eliminated or reduced all Prop 65 Chemicals of Concern and all EU Fragrance Allergens to non-detectable amounts at less than 1ppm.
If you’re looking for a fragrance free option which some would say is even safer, I would go with their unscented option! You can’t go wrong with the cleaning power and the rest of their non toxic formula. I live on the clean-ish and kinda crunchy side in our house, so I am totally okay using fragrances that I trust. I love companies that truly disclose where they source their fragrance and that they uphold strict standards such as the IFRA and EU listed above.
How well does the Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergent clean dishes?
Honestly, it’s SO GOOD! My glassware and glass baking dishes come out the cleanest so far of any of the non toxic dishwasher powders I have tried. We’ve bought this multiple times at this point because it just works. The dishes come out CLEAN! And without residue or spots. It’s a clean formula with safe fragrance, and eco-friendly packaging. It really checks all my boxes!
The real test was when we ran out of Dirty Labs recently. I had thought the Rosey by Thrive Market was great, until I used it when we were out of Dirty Labs. Both Mike and I were like holy crap we used to use this stuff to clean the dishes? They look awful! I immediately re-ordered the Dirty Labs on Amazon for our next load in the dishwasher and it was like night and day! The Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergent seriously is a game changer, gets rid of all those spots and food bits that the others leave behind!
How much does it cost?
$18 for 48 loads
This is definitely on the pricier side for powders that I have used previously such as Rosey by Thrive which is like $7 for a bag, but being that Dirty Labs cleans just SO MUCH BETTER, I’m willing to shell out the extra for peace of mind that my dishes are going to be clean, without the more harsh and more toxic chemicals in traditional dishwasher detergents and pods.
What is the packaging made of?
The container is recyclable cardboard based and the little scoop is made from responsibly sourced schima superba wood.
Would I repurchase Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergent?
Absolutely! I can say with confidence I would definitely recommend the Dirty Labs Dishwasher Bio Enzyme detergent! I personally love the scent of the Yuzu, Geranium, Lemon version. It is so nice and just different from other dishwasher soaps I have tried. I also appreciate all of the sustainable packaging down to the little wooden scoop.
Reasons why I choose non toxic and powder Dishwasher detergent formulas instead of pods:
- Traditional dishwasher pods are a source of microplastic pollution
- Eco-friendly recyclable packaging versus plastic bottles or plastic film pods
- Traditional dishwasher pods/liquids from name brands are full of harsher detergents, dyes, artificial fragrances that can contain phthalates which are known endocrine disruptors, as well as other ingredients like PEGs and Ethoxylated substances that could be contaminated with the carginogenic 1,4 dioxane, or have harsh preservatives that are known to cause skin issues (the -thiazolinones).
- I also avoid dishwasher pods and tablets since I have little kids at home, and don’t ever want them thinking they are something they can eat- even when they are tucked away safely in the cabinet, it gives me peace of mind not having them be an option at all!
Final Thoughts:
If you’re looking for a non toxic dishwasher detergent, look no further. I hope you enjoyed this Dirty Labs Dishwasher Detergenty review – I know I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now!
What other dishwasher detergents have you tried and loved? What should I try next? Let me know in the comments or let me know on Instagram! I love to hear from you!
xo – Sarah